Sunday 8 December 2013

Do you really throw your knickers out before Christmas?

There was a snippet in the newspaper last weekend - apparently 'The average British woman will throw out eleven pairs of knickers in the run-up to Christmas in readiness of the new ones her partner will buy her as a gift.'

Really?

Are our black bins overflowing with pants every December? Do the bin men grin as they empty yet another sackful of undies onto the rubbish tip? Do women only throw out the knickers that have gone a bit grey with saggy elastic, or are they getting rid of perfectly useful ones as well?

And please, if there are men reading (I'm widowed and don't have a tame man to ask something so personal), do you really throw yourselves into the Christmas-shopping fray with nothing more original on your minds than pants? I know most women like a little bit of lace from time to time, but every year? Can you really not think beyond her nether regions and wonder if, for once, a nice thermal vest might not go down just as well?

Then again, those numbers - the average British woman throwing away eleven pairs. Well, not me, for a start. And not anyone I know. Which means - to balance us out and reach this sort of average - some women must be throwing away, say, fifty pairs of knickers in December. (I don't own fify pairs of knickers, but maybe you don't need to know this.)

I know, we shouldn't believe everything we read in the papers. And this strikes me as one of the silliest snippets I've read recently.

But doesn't it create a wonderful image - all those woman secretly stuffing their old pants into the bin and then pretending to be astonished on Christmas Day when they open another pile of pink and frillies.

(Can't help wondering if anyone will drop by admitting to throwing away her pants in December. If it's you - please comment. You are welcome here, even if I don't quite understand your family's commitment to Seasonal underwear.)


24 comments:

  1. Ha ha. So now we know you have <50. I bet someone along the disposal line collects and (maybe) washes them, then makes them into draught excluders to give as Christmas presents. So if anyone gives you a draught excluder ...

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    1. Now there's a thought ... my daughters gave me a draught excluder one year ...

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  2. Hilarious Jo, and all news to me. I'd never throw ANYTHING out on the off-chance HB would be buying replacements at Christmas. He is far too random. Still giggling re the thermal vest - now that is somthing he'd never think of ...

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    1. There are worse presents, Patricia - at least a vest keeps you warm!

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  3. This is brilliant, Jo! It's given me a really good chuckle. I even read it to Koos. He looked just as astonished as I was. I also laughed hardest over the thermal vest. Now that's something he would never buy for me. Far too practical :-)

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    1. I think you could do with a vest or two to keep you warm on your boat, Val. As well as knickers, of course.

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  4. But...every woman knows that knickers bought by men are not what you'd call practical. (I once saw a fancy pair in Topshop that were dry-clean only). Darned if I'd chuck out my Sloggis for them.

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    1. Good point, Lexi - men and their fantasies! Like you, I'll not throw my pants out for any bloke!

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  5. I very rarely throw out my knickers so I can't contribute to the averages either. I often buy new ones though, nothing too frilly, M&S conventional style, but it does mean that I possibly have about 50 pairs. The plus side is that I can change pants as many times a day I like but I think this is now bordering on the area of 'too much information'.

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    1. 50 pairs - I'm impressed, Ros. One day you'll fill your bin with them and the refuse person will wonder ...

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    2. Lo! I'm not going to say what could be the reason for changing your knickers "as many times as I like"

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  6. Was that because Tom Jones was performing? :-) Sorry, only joking. I doubt that British women (or women who live in Britain. Now, there's a different spin on that piece of news!) are so profligate. Christmas is coming! It's the silly season all over again.

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    1. Jokes are always welcome - silly season, or any season.

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  7. Most women would distinguish between lingerie and what they wear every day... and they hang on to what's comfortable! ;)

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  8. No one has ever bought me knickers.I tend to have a clear out before I go on holiday and buy lovely new ones.

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  9. Hahaa.. I wouldn't trust him!! DD had a friend working in John Lewis underwear dept - every Christmas Eve they'd be flooded by hapless men buying unsuitable frilly nicks as presents...and bras. And the NEVER knew what size to buy. She got fed up of men staring at her chest and saying..well, I think she's a bit bigger than you... sh'd always say@ Here is the gift receipt, in the firm knowledge that after Boxing Day, all the black and scarlet basques etc would be returned!! So, no, I never throw my underwear out...unless I've bought new myself and told him to wrap and give... Brilliant post!!

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  10. Well, those women are gonna be in a sorry state if they don't get new knickers for Christmas, aren't they? Suppose their hubbies decide to buy them socks? Oh well. I've been married for almost forty-five years, and my husband has NEVER bought me underwear. I'd rather choose it myself, and trust me, I don't toss them all out once a year, either. I toss them out just before they start to look like rags.

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  11. Good to meet you Jo, love the post!
    I would never throw anything out on the off chance that someone might give me some new ones. I'm not that lucky! My ex-husbands idea of a great gift was a can of hair spray, I kid you not and that's one of the reasons why he's an 'ex'.
    Anita & Jay

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  12. While I am here Jo, can I pick your brains? Carol knows I'm pretty stupid when it comes to all this PC stuff, and she helps me all the time, for which I am truly grateful.
    I noticed that you have a list of labels after your post, and I know these are supposed to be a good idea, so how do I do it?

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    1. Look down the righthand side of the page when you are drafting your blog - and you'll see a box entitled 'labels' - write them in there, press 'done' - that's all there is to it.

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    2. thank you Jo, I will definitely do that, they say it helps Google do its thing (whatever that is!)

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  13. I have a feeling this is one of those "statistics" that tabloid newspapers love. Further investigation might find that the information was derived from a study commissioned by the British Knicker Council, or something ! :D

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    1. Jenny, sh, but it was The Guardian - one of its silly snippets on the back of the Family section on a Saturday. Can't even blame a tabloid!

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  14. Ha ha no but maybe I need to! ;-)

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